In Oklahoma, some people in charge of enforcing the law seem to be skirting it. State audits have found people in district attorney offices have used seized money and property to live rent-free and pay off student loans.

When state Sen. Kyle Loveless first heard about the audits, he'd already been thinking about amending the civil asset forfeiture laws — mainly because the state doesn't always follow the law.

Politics

6:21 pm

Sat July 25, 2015

Registered independents in Oklahoma will now be able to vote in Democratic primaries.

The vote by the Oklahoma Democratic Party to allow the move came during the reconvening of its State Convention in Oklahoma City on Saturday.

With the approval, independents will be able to vote in elections as soon as September.

New Party Chairman Mark Hammons supports the move and said he believes it would help Democratic candidates appeal to more voters. Some longtime party activists contend it could water down the party's message.

The Defense Department, reacting to armed citizens appearing in front of military recruiting offices around the country since last week's fatal shootings of five U.S. servicemen in Chattanooga, Tenn., has asked that "individuals not stand guard" on federal property.

Fri July 24, 2015

In the midst of budget cuts for education, and extracurriculars being shoved aside, some people in Oklahoma are going to great lengths to ensure exposure to the arts doesn’t disappear for students.

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In the back of an art studio in Oklahoma City, 10-year-old Magdalena Escobedo is painting a picture of a place she'd like to take her Mom one day.

"I’ve got a pond, well it's more like a lake. And then I have a campfire with rocks around it right here and then I have a tent," she said. "And I have a lot of evergreen trees."

She's participating in a free, two week pilot program that brings art classes to young girls in the inner city. Escobedo says she's learned about tinting and shading, watercolors, and adding texture to her art.

Arts & Culture

7:00 am

Fri July 24, 2015

This weekend, DC Comics writer Sterling Gates will host a comics writing seminar for kids at three libraries in Oklahoma City.

KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Gates about his interest in comics and what kind of advice he gives to aspiring writers.

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The first two workshops are taking place Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Southern Oaks Library and at 4 p.m. at Capitol Hill Library, and Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at the Edmond Library. You can find out more information at MetroLibraries.org.

If you have a disability in the U.S., you're twice as likely to be poor as someone without a disability. You're also far more likely to be unemployed. And that gap has widened in the 25 years since the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted.

"Every man, woman and child with a disability can now pass through once-closed doors into a bright new era of equality, independence and freedom," President George H.W. Bush said when he signed the bill into law on July 26, 1990.